Sealed article

ABSTRACT

An article includes an object and a sealing member. The object includes a cavity formed therein. The sealing member includes sealant and a carrier to which the sealant is attached. At least one of the carrier and the object includes attachment means whereby the carrier is configured to be attached to the object such that at least a portion of the sealant is retained within the cavity.

The present invention relates to sealed articles, especially containers,e.g. for containing electrical conductors, electrical connections,electronic devices, optical fibres, optical devices or the like.Preferred aspects of the invention relate to cable closures, e.g. cablesplice closures for enclosing splices between cables. In thisspecification, by a “cable” is meant a telecommunications cable (eitherconductive or optical fibre) an electrical cable or other conductivecable, a wire or other conductor, or an optical fibre.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

International Patent application WO 96/09483 (Raychem) discloses, interalia, a sealing member comprising an elongate tubular carrier carryingan elongate body of gel sealant. The sealing member includes aformation, preferably integral with the carrier, for attaching thecarrier to an object which is to carry the article in use. The formationmay, for example, comprise a projection with an enlarged regionreceivable in an aperture in the object, to anchor the carrier to theobject.

In the formation of seals, it is often necessary to provide sealant in acavity. For example, when sealing around windows or doors, sealant maybe required in a cavity in the window, door, window frame or door frame.Also, when containers, e.g. cable closures, are sealed, there may be oneor more cavities in which sealant may need to be provided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect, the invention provides an articlecomprising:

(a) an object which includes a cavity; and

(b) a sealing member, comprising:

(i) sealant; and

(ii) a carrier, to which the sealant is attached;

the carrier and/or the object including one or more attachment meanswhereby, at least in use, the carrier is attached directly to the objectsuch that at least some of the sealant is retained within the cavity.

The invention has the advantage that the sealant of the sealing membermay be conveniently and firmly retained in a cavity by virtue of thefact that the sealing member includes a carrier which carries thesealant, and the carrier and/or the object include attachment means bywhich the carrier may be attached to the object.

As already mentioned, the article may, for example, comprise acontainer, in which case the object may advantageously comprise at leastpart of a housing of the container. The container may, for example, besuitable for containing electrical conductors and/or electricalconnections and/or electronic devices and/or optical fibres and/oroptical devices or the like. The container may, for example, comprise acable closure.

According to a second aspect, the invention provides a cable closure,comprising:

(a) a housing which includes an opening and a cavity, through each ofwhich, in use, at least one cable may extend; and

(b) a sealing member, comprising:

(i) sealant; and

(ii) a carrier, to which the sealant is attached;

the carrier and/or the housing including one or more attachment meanswhereby, at least in use, the sealing member is attached directly orindirectly to the housing such that at least some of the sealant isretained within the cavity.

The second aspect of the invention has the advantage that because thesealing member includes a carrier which carries the sealant, and thecarrier and/or the housing include attachment means by which the sealingmember may be attached directly or indirectly to the housing, theprovision of the correct quantity of sealant, the correct positioning ofthe sealant, and also ease of provision of sealant in the cavity, maygenerally be assured. The invention, for example, substantially removesthe necessity of injecting, pouring or moulding sealant into the cavity(which processes can be difficult and inaccurate). Furthermore, theretention of the sealant in the cavity by means of the attachment meanshas the advantage that accidental removal or other unwanted movement ofthe sealant from or in the cavity may generally be avoided. This may beparticularly advantageous, for example, if the cable closure isre-opened once in use. If the sealant were not securely retained in thecavity, such re-opening might cause dislodging of the sealant, leadingto possible ineffective subsequent sealing and/or contamination.

The sealing member of the cable closure according to the second aspectof the invention is preferably attached to the housing by the carrierbeing attached directly to the housing by means of the attachment means.

The sealant of the sealing member (according to any aspect of theinvention) may generally comprise any suitable sealant. A particularlypreferred sealant is gel sealant. The gel may, for example, comprisesilicone gel, urea gel, urethane gel, thermoplastic gel, or any suitablegel or gelloid sealant. The most preferred type of gel sealant comprisesa liquid-extended polymer composition. The polymer composition of thegel sealant may, for example, comprise an elastomer, or a blockcopolymer having relatively hard blocks and relatively elastomericblocks. Examples of such copolymers include styrene-diene blockcopolymers, for example styrene-butadiene or styrene-isoprene diblock ortriblock copolymers e.g. as disclosed in International PatentApplication WO 88/00603. Preferably, however, the polymer compositioncomprises one or more styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene blockcopolymers. The extender liquids employed in the gel preferably compriseoils. The oils may be hydrocarbon oils, for example paraffinic ornapthenic oils, synthetic oils for example polybutene or polypropeneoils, or mixtures thereof. The preferred oils are mixtures ofnon-aromatic paraffins and naphthenic hydrocarbon oils. The gel maycontain additives, e.g. such as moisture scavengers (e.g. Benzoylchloride), antioxidants, pigments and fungicides.

Other sealants which may be used include polymeric (e.g. silicone) foammaterials, elastomeric materials, e.g. natural or synthetic rubber, ormastics. These other sealants are, however, generally less preferred (atleast at the present time) than gel sealants.

The sealant (preferably gel sealant) preferably has a hardness at roomtemperature as determined using a Stevens-Volland Texture Analyser ofgreater than 45 g, particularly greater than 50 g, especially greaterthan 55 g, e.g. between 55 g and 60 g. It preferably has astress-relaxation of less than 12%, particularly less than 10% andespecially less than 8%. Ultimate elongation, also at room temperature,is preferably greater than 100%, more preferably greater than 600%,especially greater than 1000%, particularly greater than 1400%, asdetermined according to ASTM D638. Tensile modulus at 100% strain ispreferably at least 1.8 MPa more preferably at least 2.2 MPa. In generalcompression set is preferably less than 35%, more preferably less than25%, especially less than 15%. Preferably, the sealant has a conepenetration as measured by ASTM D217 of at least 80 (10⁻¹ mm), morepreferably at least 100 (10⁻¹ mm), even more preferably at least 200(10⁻¹ mm) and preferably no greater than 400 (10⁻¹ mm), especially nogreater than 350 (10⁻¹ mm).

The carrier and the object or housing preferably have attachment meanscomprising mutually interlocking parts. The attachment means may, forexample, be one or more projections and/or recesses. The mutuallyinterlocking parts may advantageously comprise snap-fit parts.Preferably, the sealing member may be attached to the object or housingmerely by pushing it into the cavity until the snap-fit parts mutuallyinterlock. The carrier, or at least the attachment means thereof, is/arepreferably resiliently deformable.

The carrier is preferably made from a plastics material. Preferredmaterials include polyolefins, e.g. polyethylene or polypropylene.

The carrier may advantageously comprise a backing or other support ofthe sealing member, to which the sealant is attached. The carrier mayinclude, for example, one or more protrusions or other gripping memberswhich extend into, and anchor the carrier to, the sealant. The carrieris preferably substantially rigid. It may, for example, have one or moreribs or other stiffening means to ensure its rigidity. The carrier maybe generally in the form of a strip, or a tape, or a block or the like.The sealing member may be generally in the form of a strip, a tape, or ablock or the like.

According to a third embodiment, the invention provides a sealingmember, comprising:

(i) sealant; and

(ii) a carrier, to which the sealant is attached;

the carrier comprising a backing of the sealing member, in the form of astrip, tape or block which includes one or more attachment means adaptedto attach the sealing member to an object.

According to some preferred embodiments of the invention, the sealingmember is able to move with respect to the object or housing when it isattached thereto. The sealing member may, for example, be able to movewith respect to the object or housing in a direction further into, and adirection towards the exterior of, the cavity. Most preferably, thearticle or cable closure may further comprise at least one resilientmember which, at least in use, is contained in the cavity and which iscompressed, in use, by movement of the sealing member with respect tothe object or housing in at least one direction.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the housing (i.e. the housingof a cable closure or other container) comprises at least two housingparts which may be brought together (e.g. around at least one cable),whereupon the sealing member is automatically moved with respect to thehousing, thereby compressing the or each resilient member and causingit, by its resilience, to apply a compressive force to the sealant.

One advantage of this is that a compressive force may be applied to thesealant merely by bringing the housing parts together. It thus avoidsthe necessity of subsequently moving a pressure plate (e.g. towards thecable(s)) in order to apply such a compressive force to the sealant,thereby reducing the complexity (and enabling a reduction in the cost)of the closure or other container compared to certain prior art closuresor other containers and also simplifying the installation procedurecompared to the procedure required for such closures or othercontainers. The need to simplify (and thus to shorten) the installationprocedure and the tooling needed for installation, and also the need toreduce the costs associated with manufacturing closures, are becomingincreasingly important.

There are a number of reasons why applying a compressive force to thesealant by a resilient member in the cavity may be advantageous. Onereason is that, at least in preferred embodiments, the resilient membermay urge the sealant into sealing contact with cable(s) extending intothe closure or into sealing contact with electrical connections etc. inthe container. Another reason is that, at least for some preferredsealants, e.g. gels, the sealing properties are often improved when thesealants are put under compression. The closure or other container maybe required to remain sealed for long periods of time (e.g. months, ormore typically, years), and during these time periods it will normallybe subjected to wide fluctuations in temperature. It is generally forthese reasons that the sealant is put under compression by a resilientmember, i.e. a member which will normally apply biased compression tothe sealant. This has the advantage that changes in the volume of thesealant (e.g. due to changes in temperature) and/or creep, exudationetc. of the sealant are normally automatically accommodated by theresilience of the resilient member, while maintaining the compressiveforce on the sealant. Due to its resilience, the resilient memberpreferably expands or contracts automatically as appropriate in therelevant direction in response to expansion, contraction or loss ofsealant, and thus it substantially maintains its compression on thesealant.

The or each resilient member of the cable closure of the invention ispreferably compressed in a direction which is substantially lateral,more preferably substantially perpendicular, to the direction in whichthe cable(s) extend(s) through the cavity. Additionally oralternatively, the or each resilient member is preferably situated, inuse, laterally spaced apart from the or each cable, e.g. between thesealant and a said housing part. The or each resilient member ispreferably compressed, upon closing the housing parts around thecable(s), by the carrier of the sealing member, preferably between thecarrier and one or more housing parts.

The or each resilient member may advantageously comprise at least onespring, preferably at least one leaf spring and/or helical spring. Theresilient member(s) may further comprise at least one plate or othercomponent which transfers the compressive force from the or each springto the sealant. Additionally or alternatively, the or each resilientmember may be formed at least partly from at least one resilientpolymeric material, preferably an elastomer, more preferably a naturalor a synthetic rubber (e.g. silicone rubber). The resilient polymericmaterial may, for example, comprise a polymeric foam material. Aparticularly preferred form of resilient member comprises a tube orother hollow resilient polymeric member. The or each resilient membermay be an integral part of at least one of the housing parts, butpreferably is separate from, and insertable into, the housing part(s).

In preferred embodiments, the closure further comprises at least onegripping member for griping one or more cable(s) extending, in use,through the cavity. The gripping member(s) preferably secure(s) thecable(s) with respect to the housing part(s). The or each grippingmember preferably attaches directly to the housing parts, or at leastone of the housing parts.

Advantageously, the or each gripping member may be in the form of astrip which, in use, is wound around one or more cable(s) and whichpreferably interlocks with at least one of the housing parts when thehousing parts are brought together. The strip may, for example, be aretention strip as disclosed in International Patent Application No.PCT/GB95/02229 (the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference). i.e. The strip may comprise a retention strip for windingaround an elongate object (e.g. one or more cable(s)), which when sowound in use can decrease in length when compressed around the object,thereby allowing contraction of the strip around the object.

The retention strip may comprise one or more, preferably a plurality, ofcollapsible portions, and the strip can preferably decrease in lengthdue to the collapsing of one or more of the collapsible portions. Thecollapsible portion(s) may collapse by means of any of a variety ofmechanisms, for example by telescoping (in a manner similar to acollapsible telescope). Preferably, however, the or each collapsibleportion can collapse by deforming, e.g. by being crushed or concertinaedor by buckling. The or each collapsible portion thus preferablycomprises a relatively weak portion of the retention strip, and morepreferably comprises one or more webs extending between substantiallynon-collapsible portions, e.g. one or more relatively thin portionswhich can be deformed.

Preferably, the retention strip comprises a plurality of alternatelycollapsible and non-collapsible portions along at least part, preferablyall, of the length thereof. This has the advantage of normally providingsubstantially uniform collapsibility along the length of the strip, suchthat the strip may contract relatively or substantially uniformly aroundone or more cables.

The housing parts which provide the cavity for containing the sealantpreferably also substantially enclose a cable splice when broughttogether in use, i.e. the or each cavity for containing the sealingmaterial is preferably provided as an integral part of the housing partsof a cable splice closure. This has the advantage of providing a verysimple but extremely reliably sealed cable splice closure. The housingparts are preferably two half-shells which may be secured together.Additionally or alternatively, the housing parts may be joined prior tobeing brought together in use, e.g. hinged or otherwise pivotallyjoined. The housing parts may, for example, be integrally joined, e.g.by means of one or more so-called living hinges. The housing parts arepreferably made from a plastics material, e.g. polypropylene, but othermaterials, e.g. metal, could be used.

The or each cavity provided for the sealant by the housing parts ispreferably defined by at least two spaced-apart walls of at least one,preferably each, housing part, which walls are preferably integral withthe rest of the housing parts. The walls preferably have at least oneopening therein, to permit one or more cables to extend through thecavity. Alternatively, portions of the walls may be cut-away orotherwise removed as and when required, in order to provide thenecessary opening(s). To this end, the walls may have frangible portionsand/or interlocking removable portions, for example.

In particularly preferred embodiments of the invention, the closurefurther comprises one or more elongate sealing member(s) which, in use,seal(s) between opposed edge faces of the housing parts, and whichpreferably also sealingly contact(s) the sealant in the cavity. By suchsealing contact with the sealant in the cavity, the so-called triplepoints of the closure (i.e. those points at which, for example, an endseal meets a longitudinal seal between opposed edge faces of the housingparts) may be sealed.

The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of theinvention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in manydifferent forms and should not be construed as limited to theembodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided sothat this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fullyconvey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In thedrawings, like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with referenceto the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a sealing member being insertedinto a cavity, in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of another sealing member, and a resilientmember, according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is an illustration of part of a cable closure according to theinvention; and

FIG. 4 is an illustration of two housing parts of a cable closureaccording to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1(A to C) is a schematic illustration of a sealing member 2according to the invention being inserted into a cavity 15 of an object3, in accordance with the invention. The sealing member 2 comprises ablock of sealant 5 (preferably gel sealant) and a carrier 4, to whichthe sealant 5 is attached. The carrier comprises a backing of thesealing member 2, in the form of a strip. The carrier has a protrusion 6which extends into, and anchors the carrier to, the sealant. The carrieralso has attachment means 8, at the sides thereof, which are arranged tointerlock with attachment means 10 in the cavity 15.

The attachment means 10 in the cavity 15 comprise protrusions on wallsof the cavity, which project into the cavity. Upon pushing the sealingmember 2 into the cavity 15, the carrier 4 slides over the shallow upperpart of the attachment means 10 in the cavity, and the attachment means8 of the carrier interlock with the attachment means 10 of the cavity,on the opposite side thereof (as shown in FIG. 1C). In this way, thesealing member 2 is retained in the cavity 15.

In the attached position shown in Figure IC, the sealing member 2 isable to move with respect to the object 3, in a direction further into,and subsequently in a direction towards the exterior of, the cavity 15.This is because the attachment means 10 of the cavity 15 aresufficiently spaced-apart from the base of the cavity to permit suchmovement. FIGS. 1B and 1C show a resilient member 7 located in thebottom of the cavity 15. When, in the attached position, the sealingmember 2 is moved further into the cavity, the resilient member 7 iscompressed. Due to its resilience, the compressed resilient member 7exerts an opposite force on the sealing member, tending to force ittowards the exterior of the cavity 15. The resilient member 7illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a strip of polymeric foam.

FIG. 2 shows another sealing member 2, and another resilient member 7.This sealing member 2 is similar to that shown in FIG. 1, except thatthe carrier 4 includes stiffening ribs 12, on the opposite side thereofto the sealant 5. The resilient member 7 comprises a leaf spring.

FIG. 3A illustrates, in perspective, part of one housing part 3 of acable closure 1 according to the invention. The housing part 3 comprisesa half-shell which, in use, is brought together with another half-shell(not illustrated) to enclose a cable splice (for example). Alsoillustrated is a sealing member 2 comprising a block of sealant 5 (e.g.gel) and a carrier 4. A resilient member 7, comprising a leaf spring 9and a plate 11 which are joined together by a rivet or other connectionmeans 13, is also shown.

The housing part 3 includes a cavity 15 which comprises half of acomplete cavity which is formed, in use, when the two housing parts arebrought together. The cavity 15 is provided between first and secondspaced apart walls 17, in which walls are provided two openings 19through which cables may extend into the closure 1. As indicated by thedashed lines, the resilient member 7 is situated between the sealingmember 2 and an internal wall of the cavity 15, and when the housingparts 3 are brought together around one or more cables, the sealingmember 2 is compressed against the resilient member 7, thus causing theresilient member itself to be compressed, and consequently causing theresilient member, by its resilience, to apply a compressive force on thesealant 5. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the other half-shellhousing part (not illustrated) will also contain a sealing member 2similar to that illustrated; it may or may not contain another resilientmember 7 in addition to the one illustrated. The sealant blocks 5include openings 21 for cables.

The half-shell housing part 3 illustrated in FIG. 3A includes twoelongate sealing members 23, in the form of elastomeric tubes (e.g.formed from silicone rubber), which seal, in use, between the opposedlongitudinal edge faces 25 of the two half-shell housing parts. Theelongate sealing members 23 each sit in grooves provided in thelongitudinal edge faces 25 of the housing parts. Where the longitudinaledge faces 25 are immediately adjacent to the cavity 15, they arenarrower in transverse width (i.e. width transverse to the longitudinal,or cable, direction) than they are elsewhere. This. relative narrownessat the cavity 15 causes a portion of the length of each elongate sealingmember 23 adjacent to the cavity to protrude transversely into thecavity. The narrowness of the edge faces 25 in the region of the cavitymay be thought of as a removal of an internal portion (e.g. about halt)of the walls, which causes the elongate sealing members to protrude in atransverse direction into the cavity 15, preferably such that at leastabout a third, e.g. about a half, of their transverse cross-sectionalarea protrudes into the cavity. This has the advantage of increasing thecontact area between the elongate sealing members 15 and the sealant 5at the so-called triple points T (i.e the point of intersection of thelongitudinal seals—i.e. the elongate sealing members 23—with the endseals—i.e. the sealant blocks 5). It also has the advantage ofincreasing the accessibility of the triple points T to the sealant 5,thus improving the penetration or wetting by the conformable sealant atthe triple points.

The cable openings 19 in the spaced-apart walls 17 contain grooves 18,with which corresponding ridges in cable gripping strips wound aroundthe cables interlock, in use, thereby securing the cables to theclosure.

The two half-shell housing parts 3 illustrated in FIG. 3A may be joinedtogether by means interlocking (e.g. snap-fit) connection means 27, i.e.resilient catches or protrusions on the other housing part (not shown)which interlock with the holes of the up-standing connection means 27 ofthe housing part 3 which is shown. However, generally any suitableconnection means may be used, e.g. screws, bolts, clamps, catches etc.Furthermore, generally any combination of connection means may be used;for example screw-threaded parts 29 are provided on the housing part 3illustrated in FIG. 3A, to ensure a tight connection between the twohalf-shell housing parts at the ends thereof, i.e. at the end seals andtriple point seals. Attachment means, e.g. screw-thread part 31, may beprovided to enable the closure to be attached to another structure, e.g.a wall or other support.

FIG. 3B illustrates, schematically, the full length of the half-shellhousing part 3. The half-shell illustrated has two cable openings at oneend, and one cable opening at the opposite end, but generally anycombination of numbers of cable openings may be provided. Ordinarilybetween one and four openings will be provided at each end of theclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates part of another cable splice closure 1 according tothe invention. This time, both half-shells 3 are illustrated.

In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed typicalpreferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms areemployed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and notfor purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forthin the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sealed article comprising: an object includinga cavity formed therein, the cavitv having a bottom wall and opposedside walls; and a sealing member, the sealing member comprising: a blockof sealant having a lower surface; and a carrier including a backingstrip having opposed inner and outer planar surfaces, wherein the innersurface faces the bottom wall and the block of sealant is attached tothe outer surface by the lower surface thereof; wherein at least one ofthe carrier and the object includes attachment means whereby the carrieris configured to be attached to the object such that at least a portionof the sealant is retained within the cavity.
 2. A sealed articleaccording to claim 1, wherein the object includes at least a portion ofa housing adapted for containing at least one member selected from thegroup consisting of an electrical conductor, an electrical connection,an electronic device, an optical fibre, and an optical device.
 3. Asealed article according to claim 1 wherein the sealant comprises gelsealant.
 4. A sealed article according to claim 1 wherein the attachmentmeans includes mutually interlocking snap-fit parts forming a part of atleast one of the carrier and the object, and wherein the sealing memberis configured to be attached to the object by pushing the sealing memberinto the cavity until the snap-fit parts mutually interlock.
 5. Thesealed article according to claim 1 wherein the carrier includes atleast one stiffening rib extending from the inner surface thereof. 6.The sealed article according to claim 1 wherein the carrier includes aprotrusion extending from the outer surface of the backing strip andinto the block of sealant to anchor the block of sealant to the carrier.7. A cable closure for use with a cable, said cable closure comprising:a housing including an opening and a cavity, the cavity having a bottomwall and opposed side walls, each of the opening and the cavityconfigured such that the cable may extend therethrough; and a sealingmember, the sealing member comprising: a block of sealant having a lowersurface; and a carrier including a backing strip having opposed innerand outer planar surfaces, wherein the inner surface faces the bottomwall and the block of sealant is attached to the outer surface by thelower surface thereof; wherein at least one of the carrier and thehousing includes attachment means whereby the carrier is configured tobe attached to the housing such that at least a portion of the sealantis retained within the cavity.
 8. A cable closure according to claim 7,wherein the carrier is attached directly to the housing by means of theattachment means whereby the sealing member is attached to the housing.9. A cable closure according to claim 7 wherein the sealant comprisesgel sealant.
 10. A cable closure according to claim 7 wherein theattachment means includes mutually interlocking snap-fit parts forming apart of at least one of the carrier and the housing, and wherein thesealing member is configured to be attached to the housing by pushingthe sealing member into the cavity until the snap-fit parts mutuallyinterlock.
 11. The cable closure according to claim 7 wherein thecarrier includes at least one stiffening rib extending from the innersurface thereof.
 12. The cable closure according to claim 7 wherein thecarrier includes a protrusion extending from the outer surface of thebacking strip and into the block of sealant to anchor the block ofsealant to the carrier.
 13. A sealed article comprising: an objectincluding a cavity formed therein; and a sealing member, the sealingmember comprising: sealant; and a carrier to which the sealant isattached; the sealed article further comprising a resilient membercontained in the cavity and compressible by movement of the sealingmember with respect to the object in at least one direction; wherein atleast one of the carrier and the object includes attachment meanswhereby the carrier is configured to be attached to the object such thatat least a portion of the sealant is retained within the cavity; andwherein the sealing member is moveable with respect to the object towhich it is attached.
 14. A sealed article according to claim 13comprising a container including a housing, the object forming at leastpart of the housing, the housing comprising at least two housing partswhich may be brought together, whereupon the sealing member isautomatically moved with respect to the housing, thereby compressing theresilient member and causing the resilient member to apply a compressiveforce to the sealant.
 15. A sealed article according to claim 14 whereinthe cavity is configured such that a cable may extend therethrough andthe resilient member is compressible in a direction substantiallylateral to the direction in which the cable extends through the cavitywhen the cable is received in the cavity.
 16. A sealed article accordingto claim 15 wherein the resilient member is compressible in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the direction in which the cable extendsthrough the cavity when the cable is received in the cavity.
 17. Asealed article according to claim 15 wherein, when the cable is receivedin the cavity, the resilient member is laterally spaced apart from thecable and is positioned between the sealing member and at least one ofthe housing parts.
 18. A sealed article according to claim 14 whereinthe resilient member comprises at least one spring.
 19. A sealed articleaccording to claim 14 wherein the resilient member includes a resilientpolymeric material.
 20. A sealed article according to claim 14 whereinthe housing parts are configured to be brought together to substantiallyenclose a cable splice.
 21. A sealed article according to claim 14wherein the housing parts include two half-shells.
 22. A sealed articleaccording to claim 14 including an elongate sealing member which sealsbetween opposed edge faces of the housing parts, and which alsosealingly contacts the sealant in the cavity.
 23. The sealed articleaccording to claim 13 wherein the carrier includes at least onestiffening rib.
 24. The sealed article according to claim 13 wherein thecarrier includes a protrusion extending into the sealant to anchor thesealant to the carrier.
 25. A sealed article comprising: an objectincluding a cavity formed therein, the cavity having a bottom wall andopposed side walls; and a sealing member, the sealing member comprising:a block of sealant having a lower surface; and a carrier including abacking strip having opposed inner and outer planar surfaces, whereinthe inner surface faces the bottom wall and the block of sealant isattached to the outer surface by the lower surface thereof, the carrierincluding attachment means, the attachment means including at least oneof a strip, a tape and a block adapted to attach the sealing member tothe object such that at least a portion of the sealant is retainedwithin the cavity.
 26. The sealed article according to claim 25 whereinthe carrier includes at least one stiffening rib extending from theinner surface thereof.
 27. The sealed article according to claim 25wherein the carrier includes a protrusion extending from the outersurface of the backing strip and into the block of sealant to anchor theblock of sealant to the carrier.
 28. A cable closure for use with acable, said cable closure comprising: a housing including an opening anda cavity, each of the opening and the cavity configured such that thecable may extend therethrough; and a sealing member, the sealing membercomprising: sealant; and a carrier to which the sealant is attached; thecable closure further comprising a resilient member contained in thecavity and compressible by movement of the sealing member with respectto the object in at least one direction; wherein at least one of thecarrier and the housing includes attachment means whereby the carrier isconfigured to be attached to the housing such that at least a portion ofthe sealant is retained within the cavity; and wherein the sealingmember is moveable with respect to the housing to which it is attached.29. The cable closure according to claim 28 wherein the carrier includesat least one stiffening rib.
 30. The cable closure according to claim 28wherein the carrier includes a protrusion extending into the sealant toanchor the sealant to the carrier.